Monday, November 4, 2013

A heart of Thankfulness...

So I refuse to start the being thankful for one thing each day through the month of November. Not because I am not thankful but because I will miss a day of posting and it will stress me out because I am type “A.” Instead I have decided to dedicate a blog of THANKFULNESS!


1. I am thankful for the peace of my salvation.
2. I am thankful for the daily prompting of the Holy Spirit to dig deeper in my relationship with the Lord.
3. I am thankful for the way my Father created my little family.
4. I am thankful for a husband that has lived out his marriage vows to the fullest in the last 10 years. (You have no idea what an incredible man he is people!)
5. I am thankful that I am cancer free.
6. I am thankful for my husband’s job that allows him to walk away each day feeling appreciated, supported and needed. It also allows him to come home each day fully present,
emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
7. I am thankful for a husband that prays with me and our daughter daily.
8. I am thankful that God made me a Mommy. (I really thought that one was not going to happen)
9. I am thankful for my headstrong, spunky, beautiful, God loving little girl.
10. I am thankful for God allowing my child not to be perfect so that we can have teachable moments that allow us the chance to teach her more about the Lord.
(this one is hard to be grateful for all the time but I know that it is truth)
11. I am thankful for the burden to adopt that was placed on our hearts straight from our Father in heaven.
12. I am thankful for the holiday season that allow us more time to reflect on God’s goodness.
13. I am thankful for the fall season because I so clearly see the art of God reflected in the fog, trees, sky and crisp air.
14. I am thankful for the dreams that God lays on my heart.
15. I am thankful for the men and women that weekly serve in the preschool and nursery area of TDF.
16. I am thankful for the “community” of TDF in which God has placed us. For the way they live life alongside us, encourage us and love us.
17. I am thankful for technology that allowed us to “see” my brother-in-law via face time all the way from Afganistan.
18. I am thankful for a sweet friendship with my soul sister and real-life sister, Denise.
19. I am thankful for a new a different relationship with my parents that allows us the opportunity to know each other in a new way. How sweet it is to see how God moves in families!
20. I am thankful for a warm and loving relationship with my in-laws.
21. I am thankful that God brought me another sister in form of my sister-in-law Lindsey. She is a blessing to us.
22. I am thankful for teachers, leaders, pastors and adults that appreciate the way my girl always delivers hugs and speak truth into her life. This is sometimes done just by loving
her,sometimes by instructing her and many times by just living out a God influenced life in front of her.
23. I am thankful for the time in history, the place in this world and the family in which God placed me. It is the place where is believes I will bring Him the greatest glory.
24. I am thankful for the people that pray for our family.
25. I am thankful for the magic of Christmas. The reverence related to that holiday that makes me want to sing worship.
26. I am thankful for my heritage. It is flawed, diverse and full of examples of grace.
27. I am thankful for the written Word of God and the ability to have a physical connection to my Father.
28. I am thankful for the mother of our next child and the brave choice that she will make.
29. I am thankful for my brother-in-law that takes good care of my sister and has always been willing/and wants to help in any way he can.
30. I am thankful my sweet nephew that says, “I love you Aunt Denny” and the one on the way that I am excited to meet.
31. I am thankful that God has always provided when He asked us to step out in faith.

This year, my heart is grateful for many things and I could not possibly pen them all. It does help your perspective and focus when you force yourself to be aware of what God has done in your life. It is one of the things I make Anna Beth do when she is becoming too focused on herself and her frustrations. While sometimes those frustrations are valid, we become more aware of God’s presence in the middle of it when we stop to be thankful.